Th% ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY hi Meckknbwrg Cwpfr For * w<dt|y lto R—den Rcprtwcnt tha LARGEST B^yNG POWER In Charbtte
^g the Charlotte tabor Journal
EndZe'dir!?i£eoffuiJltate and dixie farm news Official Organ of Central Labor Union; Standing ^ Jt~
__ for the A. F. L.
... .. . ..
VOL. XIV.—NO. 30 Y~" wntniNT CHARLOTTE, N. C», THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1944 joum*l omm eo*wo«»*Tio»« or .« «a p wm#
_;__ . _ TNt RIABIU *4,uu r”
Back Up The Boys — With Bonds
^am■■mmmmmv ' ^ ^ , .. ._ _. •
Free Labor Will Out-Produce Nazi Slaves- -"--' — --: THE A. F. OF L SLOGAN FOR 1944
RELATION OF WAGES TO WELFARE
AND ADVANCEMENT OF OUR
STATE - WORKERS WAGE MEANS
MORE THAN DOLLAR? AND CENTS
Editor Charlotte Labor Joanaal: a*
North Carolina now knows where she stands as a state.
North Carolina stands next to the bottom of the list in the
matter of average wage income for the working people of the
state.
North Carolina's average wage rate is 39 per cent below the
national leveL
In other words, a working man in North Carolina gets 61
cents while the average American worker is getting a dollar.
In the past three years, since war
industries brought this North Caro
lina wage level up to this miserable
point, wages have increased more
than half.
These figures were revealed last
week in a report issued by the Un
employment Compensation Commit
tee, and the report startled this state
as nothing else has done in many a
Let us consider for a moment the
relation of the wage to the welfare
and advancement of the state. The
working man’s wage means more,
much more, than simply so many dol
lars and cents.
The pay envelope of the working
man contains his wages for the week,
or the pay period. That pay en
velope of the working man contains
every mouthful of food that he and
his family have to eat, every gar
ment they wear, their shelter which
they call home, their medicine and
medical attention, their dental bills,
their school books and schooling,
their church contributions and fra
ternal order dues, and everything
that goes into the life of the wage
earner and his family is contained in
that pay envelope.
Therefore, when a worker in North
Carolina is getting only 61 cents in
his pay envelope to each dollar that
the average American worker gets,
then he and his family are living on
•I cents worth of food and raiment,
medicine and schooling, in compari
son to the dollar’s worth that the
average American worker has to
spend on his family.
Let as see how this deplorable sit
uation affects the business man, the
doctor, the dentist, the schools.
While the average American work
er is earning and spending *10* with
his merchants and professional men,
the North Carolina worker has only
Ml to spend with the North Carolina
merchant, doctor, dentist.
Much of this state’s industry is fi
nanced by foreign capital. This
means that much of the $39 withheld
from North Carolina wage-earners
goes into the bank accounts of peo
ple who live in other states. They
do not spend any of that vast dif
ference here with business men in this
state. It is pure velvet for foreign
ca L
labor union is the only force
or influence that has made an effort
to remedy this terrible situation.
Those who profit most because North
Carolina labor is 39 per cent under
the average of the nation’s workers
in the matter of wages, are the ones
who lead the fight against the union.
Of .course, many misinformed people
who do not gain because of this con
dition, but who actually lose thereby.
Join in the anvil chorus against the
union. ,
These are the people who would,
if they could, have the legislature
submit to referendum an amendment
to the state constitution forbidding
the union shop contracts between an
employer and his workers. There are
numerous employers who honestly de
sire 'to pay better wages to these
employed by them, but because of
keen competition by the low-wage ad
vocates, it is difficult for them to pay
more, and survive.
Then, too, that precious Little Steel
Formula, that Bible of the War Labor
Board, that hold-the-line-or-die mot
to, is used to punish the working
people of North Carolina. Please
remember that the existing wage
rates in North Carolina have in
creased more than half during the
past three years, yet remains 39 per
cent below, the national average.
Because of this increase the dog
matic War Labor Board says:
“Starve, ye Tar Heel Workers,
Starve! The Little Steel Formula
must stand, food or no food, fuel or
no fuel, for the Little Steel Formu
la is nrare important than the wage
earners, their wives and' children !”
The ChnrkAte News, in editorial
comment on this 39 per cent wage
rate of North Carolina workers, goes
to the point, as follows:
—V—
LOW DOWN
“It Is now official that North Car
olina wages are Just about the lowest
in the country, and this is not a CIO
figure for use in pressing home
wage gains. The State Unemploy
ment Comr/avion reports the facts,
' JjT;.- ' '
THE A. F. OF L. STANDS WITH AND FOR THE FLAG
RENEWED ACTIVITY OF CHARLOTTE WORKERS
Renewed and intensified activity is noted about the Charlotte
Labor Temple. The meetings of the Charlotte Central Labor
Union as well as the meetings of the several local unions of the
city are most interesting. Larger attendance and more intensi
fied interest seem to be the order of the day.
President Jack Moore, of the Central Labor Union, and Sec
retary Sutton, with the aid of a special committee, are planning
programs which will further intensify interest in the organiza
tions. The program calls for an open forum once a month, a
certain meeting night in each month to be set aside for this pur
pose. Men and womcpi in public life will be invited to attend these
meetings, and all who attend will be given the opportunity to ex
press their views.
“Instead of criticising us on the street corners, in the club
room or office, we want our friends to come into these open forum
meetings and tell us what they are thinking and what they think
we ought to do or not to do,” President Moore said in explanation
of the plans and purposes of the open forum meetings. He said
he believed that labor and the community as a whole would de
rive great benefit from such meetings.
“Of course, every one who honors us with his or her presence
will be accorded the most respectful attention,” President Moore
said. He expressed the further hope that as a result of these
open forum meetings, the civic and business organizations of the
city will in turn invite members of Organized Labor to appear
before these groups and tell these memberships of labor’s aims,
hopes and aspirations.
“We are all neighbors. What helps one. helps the other;
what hurts one, hurts all others,” said President Moore. “Why
shouldn’t we meet and discuss together these problems of com
mon interest?”
and they do not make bright reading.
“North Carolina’s average weekly
wage is $26.51—and only Sooth Car*
olina, with a whistling $2421, is
FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOIL
I
lower.
“The national average is 940.77.
and in some instances, as in Alaska
and Michigan, the averages run up
over $50. In seven other states the
average is over 945.
“But that isn’t alL North Caro
lina’s wage level has increased more
than half in the past three years.
We are still 39 per cent below the na
| tional level, but war gains have made
even our present sorry showing pos
sible. In short, without the influx
of some war industries and the com
ing of prosperous times, our wage
level would be far lower.
“And this, of course, is one of the
grim facta underlying North Caro
lina’s economy. From time to time
interested eitixeas speak out, saying
that we must reduce this tax. or that
to attract industries to the state, or
that we most advertise our assets
nationally—calling attention, among
other things, to our bountiful supply
of cheap labor. But these do not
even approach the North Carolina
problem.
“We cannot hope to build a sound
economy on the nation’s lowest wages,
nor can we hope for real progress in
any field. For low wages mean low
standards, low goals, heavy burdens.”
J. L B.
PRODUCE
FOR VICTORY
THE JOURNAL tobjfll
the largest city circulation of
any weekly published in Char
lotte. Your ad in The Journal
will bring results from the
worker^
TO WIN THE WAR
SOONER
LET US ALL WORK
HARDER
THERE ARE NO UNIONS
OR ANT OTHER FREJE
INSTITUTIONS UNDER
NAZI OR JAP RULE.
*- . 1
SERVICE MEN ARE LOOKING
TO UNION MEN AT HOME FOR
JOB PRTECTION AFTER WAR
A letter addressed to R. *S. Twitty, business agent for the
Carpenters Loral Union here, from a member of the union “some
where in the Pacific” is most interesting and informative. The
writer, L. J. Walsh, one of the most popular members of the Car
penters Local Union, makes the following statement:
"... US FELLOWS OVER HERE ARE DEPENDING UPON
OUR LOCAL UNIONS FOR OUR FUTURE AFTER THIS IS
ALL OVER.”
This statement will astound those loud-mouthed boys who
have been yelling from the housetops that the service men are
angry with Organized Labor here at home.
The letter is as follows:
“Dear Brothers: I
I guess you ire surprised to hear!
from me. The fact of the matter is1
that they keep us busy enough here
that we do well to squeeze in time
enough to writs our immediate fam
ilies—much lesr- anyone else.
I want to think the Local for the
box of cigars that I received a few
days ago. We sure had a smoking
good time, for as you probably well
realize cigars are few and far be
tween out this way.
We sure have been doing lots of
woik. The temperature is 140 de
grees today—and we were working
in it. That's a shade hot for a coun
try boy.
I hope this letter finds all the men
well and working.
The main reason I write this let
ter is to get a little more informa
tion. I Would like to know what the
prospects for a job will be after the
war, and how the Local is function
ing now. As a Local member, now in
the Service fighting for the right to
have a union, I would like to know
what the plans for us are.
As I can't be there to look after
my interest in the Local, I would like
to know the salaries of the officers
and of the Local'* business in gen
eral.
Since I have been over here I have
made the acquaintance of fellows
front all over the United States, and
Consequently, from various Locals
throughout the States. Through dis
cussing matters in general with them
1 have learned the real value of Or
ganized Labor, and I believe that now
is the time to economise for the fu
ture and to build up our funds as
much as possible for things may be
a lot different after the war.
The reason I bring this up is that
all of us fellows over here are de
pending upon our Locals for our fu
ture after this is all over. Our Ix>
cal in Charlotte has been well or
ganized and I feel that it will be
able to handle any emergency that
may arise.
In closing this letter I want to
wish every one of you a swell Thanks
S'ving, A Merry Christmas, and a
appy and Prosperous New Year. I
hope to be seeing all of you soon—
and judging by the way the Japs have
pitched around the past few months,
it shouldn't be too long until I’m back
on the job saying “Hello” to all of
you. As ever,
BROTHER “RED” WALSH,
L. J. Walsh, CMIC.
CBMU 687, Platoon 2,
Care Fleet Post Office,
San Francisco, Calif.
Nov. 9, 1944.
LABOR’S FIGHT ON PRESSURE
GROUPS HELPED HOLD PRICE
LINE SAYS CHESTER BOWLES
NEW ORLEANS—-Delegates to the American Federation of
Labor's convention here heard OPA Administrator Chester
Bowles give credit to labor for the Administration’s success in
beating back attempts of pressure groups to break down price
control.
“Throughout the long fight to
maintain our control over rents and
prices, we have had the vigorous
support of organized labor and other
consumer groups,” Bowles said.
“Without that support we couldn’t
have done the job.
“Organized labor’s support of price
control, rest control and rationing
has been an invaluable aid to the wai
effort. It ranks second in importance
only to labor’s record on the produc
tion front.”
Bowles let It be known that when
civilian products abandoned during
the war come back into production,
the OPA intends to hold their prices
to the level of early 1942. That can
be done even though wages and prices
of materials may have increased dur
ing the period.
"We know from our experience that
industry can absorb considerable in
creases in material prices and wqge
rates without compensating price in
creases—and still maintain handsome
profits,” Bowles declared.
THE MARCH OF LABOR.
ufccefiems on ah.
ffUOrtrs- viooxvib,
GN!H6,-*iP
Bonds/
^JhE ARMY AIR CORPS MAS PXTHJMOUSIY
> PAID t&lBuTB 1b A NEW TYPE OF WAR.
[head. He was jdmn Rohm, pres.
1 OF UAW-CJO LOCAL 92, FEtffcW,M(CMy
\ (MHO UEFT A SICKBED lb SETAE A
— ■ ' ■ ■ ■w—i
• . . •. . i